Power outages; fire near the observatory; Atwater Village murder

A recap of some of the past week’s scenes, sightings and stories from across the Eastside.

Commuters and LADWP customers may face more headaches as the LADWP tries to reduce the possibility of more power outages. After thousands of households lost power in last weekend’s weekend’s “heat storm” and record-high demand, the agency is tweaking their operations. But doing so might require lane closures from emergency work, and, ironically, more power outages, as electricity is cut during repairs. Last Sunday, power went out for more than 6,800 Eastside customers – including 2,000 in Silver Lake and 1,200 in Highland Park. The Eastsider

An afternoon brush fire in Griffith Park on Tuesday forced the evacuation of more than 2,000 people from the Griffith Observatory. The fire, which began northwest of the observatory, blackened about 25 acres. Officials said about 200 firefighters managed to stop the blaze from advancing about 90 minutes after it began. The fire came within about a quarter mile of the observatory, where visitors were ordered to leave the hilltop landmark because of smoke. However, officials said the structure was never threatened by the flames. There have been no reports of injured or damage to structures. But several vehicles were either burned or charred. The Eastsider

A man has been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of his mother earlier this week. KTLA said the killing took place after a violent family argument, but a spokesperson with the LAPD Northeast Division could not confirm those details. The victim, 66-year-old Constance Mangan, was found in her apartment Tuesday on the 3900 block of Veselich Avenue, and had been stabbed multiple times. The Eastsider

A motorist crashed after being shot in the neck early Sunday morning as he was driving near Mission Road and Soto Street, police said. My News LA

Brush fires broke out two days in a row in the same spot near Dodger Stadium. On Monday, more than 50 firefighters were dispatched to put out a grass and brush fire in the median of the Arroyo Seco Parkway (110 Freeway) during the start of the evening rush hour. It burned about a half acre near Hill Street before it was declared knocked down in about 30 minutes. The next day, a fire in about the same spot began during the morning commute. The Eastsider

The 38th Lotus Festival has been running this weekend in Echo Park, celebrating the summer blooming of the lotus flower in the lakebed, and raising awareness of the cultural contributions made by Asians and Pacific Islanders. This year, for the first time, the festival is also offering a Beer & Wine Garden, where adults can sample local brews and regional wines selected by the L.A. County Brewers Guild. The Eastsider

Children’s Hospital in East Hollywood has received a $20 million donation to upgrade and expand its emergency department and services. The contribution from a donor who remained anonymous was one of the largest ever received by the hospital. Los Feliz Ledger

A debris and trash fire flared up in a network of storm drain tunnels in the 1500 block of San Fernando Road in Glassell Park. A team of more than 80 firefighters and members of an urban search and rescue team had the fire extinguished in a little more than an hour. No people were found in the tunnels.

L.A. columnist Steve Lopez writes about the online fracas on a Silver Lake NextDoor group over helping the homeless. L.A. Times

The number of places legally selling marijuana for recreational use across Los Angeles has jumped 50% in approximately the last four months. The Eastside also added more licensed pot businesses, but they still remain relatively few and amount to a small share of the city-wide number. The Eastsider

A pair of “guerilla bus benches” have been installed across the street from each other for the bus stops at Valley Boulevard and Vineburn Avenue in El Sereno – simple, Parsons-style, plywood benches that are bolted to the pavement. Josef Bray-Ali said he has spotted such “guerilla bus benches” across Chinatown, El Sereno and Lincoln Heights. “I have seen them all over the grittiest most isolated bus stops in these areas,” he said. The Eastsider

L.A. Unified will build a new social justice learning center at Roosevelt High and try to preserve the entrance to a landmark classroom building as part of a settlement with those opposed to demolishing most of the old campus to make way for a $173 million modernization. The Eastsider

A 40-year-old man was charged in connection with fatally shooting two dogs at his home in East L.A., and has pleaded not guilty. Emilio Alvarez was taken into custody on July 9, and the bodies of two dogs — one in a cardbox, the other in a trash bag — with gunshot wounds were allegedly found inside Alvarez’ home on the 400 block of Betty Avenue. Deputies also said they found a gun in the home. Alvarez has been charged with two felony counts of cruelty to an animal and one count of discharge of a firearm with gross negligence. If convicted, he faces a maximum possible sentence of six years and four months in state prison. The Eastsider

Scene of the Week

Cooling Down, Lincoln Heights | Jesus Sanchez

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